(Minghui.org) Jiamusi City is located in northeast China. It is in Heilongjiang Province in the middle of the Sanjiang Plain near the junction of the Heilongjiang, Usuri, and Songhua Rivers. After Mr. Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Dafa in 1992, Falun Dafa's role in eliminating illnesses, strengthening the body, and greatly improving moral standards attracted many Chinese, including many from Jiamusi.

During that precious and unforgettable period of time, quiet groups of peaceful practitioners did the meditation in the squares, parks, and vacant lots. Practitioners included government officials, business owners, teachers, students, doctors, workers, farmers, and others. They were of all ages, family backgrounds, and social levels and had different life experiences and personalities. If you asked any of them, they would tell you that Falun Gong benefited them physically and mentally.

Everyone longs for a happy life. Where does such happiness come from? It comes from having a healthy body, a prosperous business, a harmonious family, and from searching for the truth of the universe and the meaning of life. When we look at Falun Gong practitioners, we find many such examples.

1. Getting Rid of Severe Illness and Regaining Health

Mr. Ma was a former deputy director level official. While he climbed the social ladder and advanced in his career by working hard, he had all kinds of health problems. The most severe was aplastic anemia, which he developed at the age of 30 in 1985. It is a serious blood disease and very hard to cure even after long term treatment. The typical symptoms include bleeding, anemia, and high fever. A severe case can lead to sepsis. An infection can cause heavy bleeding and eventually lead to death.

To make things worse, later when he went through transfusion therapy in the Jiamusi Railway Hospital, he was infected with hepatitis B. Although it improved a little after treatment, it got worse when he got older and with the hardships of life. By 1993, Mr. Ma was totally dependent on modern medicine. Each round of treatment cost over 5000 yuan. Mr. Ma thought of his hard life ahead, and, faced with his young wife and little daughter, he could not help but cry.

Fortunately, Mr. Ma started to cultivate Falun Dafa in September 1994. After that, his illnesses all disappeared, including the aplastic anemia and hepatitis B. At the same time, the Fa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance had a positive effect on his moral standards, which had slid down with the general moral decline. He gave away the house his employer assigned to him to other colleagues. When he got his year end bonus, he distributed it to his subordinates. He was strict in following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to be a good person. He was illuminated by the Buddha-light of Falun Dafa and started a completely new life.

Ms. Bai is retired. When she was young, she was very beautiful. But at age 33, she was diagnosed with late stage breast cancer at Jiamusi Medical College Hospital. On August 14, 1992, the director of oncology at the hospital performed a radical mastectomy and removed a 6 by 7 cm malignant tumor. He told her that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. The doctor said there was no way to cure the cancer since the cancer cells had already metastasized. The only thing he could do was chemotherapy. In the best case, she could only live for two more years.

Ms. Bai did not want to die, so started to pursue treatment relentlessly. When she went to a big hospital in Beijing for chemotherapy, she was diagnosed with severe diabetes. The doctors could do nothing for her. In order to survive, she tried everything, even a witch doctor, who invoked possession. After that, she was in a living hell.

Later, Ms. Bai was fortunate to study Falun Gong and soon recovered fully. She could do heavy housework, too. The doctor said in 1992 that she could only live up to two years at the most. But now 20 years have passed. She not only did not die, she has become more and more healthy.

2. Improved Moral Standards and Career Success

Ms. Zhao is an official with a senior title in Jiamusi. She was the the leader of a government agency. She was recognized many times as an “outstanding individual” by the city and the province. She started to cultivate Falun Gong in July 1995. Gradually she found many of her illnesses were gone or greatly reduced.

She not only experienced significant physical changes but also changed mentally. She had been very competitive since childhood. She had a hot temper and was very impolite. Her domineering ways hurt a lot of people. She was a Party leader for many years and was severely poisoned by the communist Party culture. At work or at home, she was always the "strong woman." After she started to cultivate Falun Gong, she learned to think of others first and was no longer self-centered or hot tempered. She strictly followed Dafa's principles and got rid of selfishness and the habit of using her power and personal relationships for advantages and personal gains. For example, before cultivating Falun Gong, she claimed extra expenses when she went on business trips, was reimbursed more on medical expenses at the end of the year than she spent, and went through back doors for personal gains. After she started to cultivate Falun Gong, she did not do such things again.

Mr. He was selected by the military to study mechanics at the naval academy. After he graduated, he went back to the military and used his skills to solve many of the ships' malfunctions and technical difficulties. He made great contributions to ship hydraulic and piston technology and was given awards many times by the military region. In 1986, he transferred to a civilian company and was recognized by the company due to his dedication to work.

In the early 90s, Mr. He and his wife started their own company. Soon they both started to cultivate Falun Gong. They were strict with themselves in followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They traded fairly and ran their business honestly. Their business got better and better.

3. One Person Cultivates Falun Gong, the Entire Family Benefits

Ms. Bian is a farmer. Before she cultivated Falun Gong, she was seriously ill and her financial situation was very poor. Her family was on the edge of collapse. Falun Dafa saved Ms. Bian and her entire family from a very difficult situation. In her own words:

“I gave birth to two sons. At that time, I was possessed by a spirit and I could not do anything all day long but talk gibberish. I stayed in bed for over 200 days every year. I not only could not go to work, but also was afraid of staying at home. Every day I begged my husband to buy me good food. If he didn't I would get angry. I had to keep the big light on all night long, and I had to hold a flashlight, otherwise I would be very scared. Later, I got worse. I usually could not eat or drink normally for over three weeks, and I became so thin that I was just skin and bones. My waist was only as thick as my thigh. I really lived on only air. I developed rheumatic heart disease, liver disease, cholecystitis, and stomach disease. I did not even have the strength to die. I just lived in pain.

“In 1996, Falun Dafa was introduced to our isolated village. Later a practice site was established in the village. My husband and my neighbors carried me to the practice site. While I listened to Master Li's Fa lecture video, my bones started to vibrate. My body changed dramatically every day. Soon I could do farm work—even though I had laid in bed for over 20 years and was possessed by a spirit. The villagers said, “Falun Gong is good. An almost dead person can do heavy work again.”

“My husband and sons all had health problems. My husband had rheumatoid arthritis. Every morning when he tried to get up, he could not move his legs. He had to hold onto the bed and move slowly for a while before he was able to stand up. He saw the pain I was in and it depressed him. He drank every day to relieve the depression, which caused severe liver disease and he could not work anymore. At that time, our boys were still little. My older son had tuberculosis and coughed all the time. Sometimes in class, he would cough so hard that it scared the teacher and she dropped the chalk. My younger son was even worse. He had congenital cerebral palsy. His left arm was always curved and he could only touch the ground with the toe of his left foot. He walked like he was jumping. In his teens, he started to have convulsions. In the beginning, he convulsed every two weeks. Then it got worse and he convulsed every two to three days. Later he convulsed a few times every day. Sometimes while he was walking, he suddenly fell down and started convulsing. Once he walked near a pond and fell in. There was no one around for a long time. Strangely, he did not sink to the bottom but floated on the surface. Finally someone found him and took him home. Our family cried together. Later, his disease got worse. In class, he fell down under the desk and started to convulse, frightening the teacher and and all the students. The school did not allow my son to go to school anymore. At home, my husband and I laid down on the bed and could not move. Sometimes our son convulsed so badly that he spit white foam. But we did not have the strength to wipe it off for him. Our entire family was suffering, and we cried until we had no more tears.

“We went to a professor at the Cerebral Palsy Center of Jiamusi University Hospital and a specialist from the Shanghai Armed Police General Hospital. They all said there was no good way to treat him. They could only offer some recovery treatment. Surgery could only promise a 30% chance of success and our son very likely would become mentally disabled. They persuaded us that people like us from the village should not consider the recovery treatment since we really could not afford the expense. They also said he likely would not live past 18. We were desperate. Then we found a witch doctor. He also said there was no hope for a cure and that he might not live past the age of 18.

“But just when my son reached 18, I started to cultivate Falun Gong. After they saw my great physical and mental improvement, my husband and my younger son also started cultivation. Although my older son did not cultivate, he also believed Falun Dafa is good. Our entire family completely changed. My older son became healthy and he went out to work. My husband and younger son also got healthy. They ate well and could work, too. Especially my younger son experienced great changes and can now walk almost like a normal person. He can live his life normally.”

4. Respect Each Other and Family Harmonized

Ms. Fan is retired. Before she started to cultivate Falun Gong, she had deep grudges against her in-laws. Any time she talked about her in-laws, she got very angry and had to rest for a while before she got back to normal. After she studied Falun Gong, the Fa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance dissolved her hatred. When her father-in-law got really sick, she asked her husband to bring him into their home and she took good care of him. Her father-in-law got better every day. She also got along well with her sisters-in-law. When other people had difficulties, she helped them and never considered the loss.

When Ms. Wang was young, her husband was an alcoholic and did not bring home the money he earned. Family life was difficult. Ms. Wang often yelled at her husband or even beat him. The unhappy life and the pain of illness made her want to die. But her child was still little. In order to raise her child, Ms. Wang struggled to live.

At the beginning of 1997, Ms. Wang started to cultivate Falun Dafa. Soon all her illnesses disappeared. With Dafa, she was relieved from the tribulations. She changed greatly and she no longer scolded others or argued with her husband. Her family became harmonious.

5. A Prodigal Reforms

Since childhood, Mr. Ding fought, smoked, and drank. He was a bully at school and he was often involved in gang fighting. After he left school, he always got into trouble. He even collected “protection fees.” Mr. Ding also got involved with many other troublemakers. He said, “The reason I drifted at that time was because I had no hope and I did not know why I was alive. In 2001, I was very fortunate to learn Falun Dafa. I understood the true meaning of life. Since then I completely changed into a different person. I feel Falun Dafa is really good and really righteous. I must cultivate.”

Mr. Ding started to cultivate Falun Gong after the persecution began. He no longer fought and he thoroughly got rid of the bad habits he had before. And he completely changed mentally. He followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and constantly rectified his thoughts and actions. At work and in life, he always thinks of others first.

6. A Life Redeemed

Mr. Yao's mother was an intellectual who was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution. She had a mental disorder when Mr. Yao was born. Mr. Yao's grandparents raised him. After his grandparents passed away, he did not have anyone to rely on and he missed his family very much. He started to drink and smoke. He could not get overcome his bad habits and he lost all hope.

In 1995, Mr. Yao was very fortunate to obtain the Fa. He became a good person and quit drinking and smoking. He was strict with himself following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He became a high voltage welder and made contributions at his work. He often said with emotion, “Without Master Li's Falun Dafa, I would not be alive today. All I have today was bestowed upon me by Falun Dafa.”

These Falun Dafa practitioners have been persecuted by the CCP many times just for wanting to have a healthy body and cultivate to be a good person. Since July 20, 1999, they have been arrested, detained, sent to forced labor, had their property confiscated by the CCP, and been devastated in mind and body. Mr. Ma and his wife have been arrested, detained, sentenced, and brutally tortured many times by the CCP over the past 13 years. In 2002, Mr. Ma was arrested. The police beat him so badly that his legs became disabled, his teeth fell out, and his back was injured permanently. Later he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was brutally tortured in prison and was not released until he was in critical condition. Mr. He was arrested and threatened many times by CCP officials even though he had severe illness symptoms. He died on April 19, 2006, due to the persecution. Ms. Zhao was sentenced to forced labor three times (three years in 2001, two years in 2005, and one year in 2008). Mr. Ding suffered from brutal persecution. On June 14, 2008, he went to the railway police department on business and was arrested. He was sent to the Suihua Forced Labor Camp in Heilongjiang Province on July 28, 2008. Ms. Fan has been detained and sent to forced labor camps many times for cultivating Falun Dafa.